For a being whose attributes consist, at minimum, of absolute justice and perfect love, there seems to be a dilemma on how that being could show love to unlovely creatures without compromising either his moral perfections or absolute justice. In other words, is there some place where love and justice intersect? How, for instance, can God exact a just punishment on those deserving of his wrath while at the same time fully express his love to those same beings?read more ➜

Does God forget my sins when he forgives my sins? And, aren’t we supposed to “forgive and forget?” After all, the Bible clearly states “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25). And, Jeremiah exclaims “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).read more ➜

Many who’ve been introduced to the notion of God’s omniscience eventually ask, “If God knows all things, including my choices before I make them, then are my choices really free?” Understandably, it is difficult to swallow the idea that we may not be “free” in any absolute sense. That our choices are not solely our own is not very palatable, especially for Westerners who tend to cherish (read “worship”) our freedoms. It seems we have this tenacious bent to believe that our choices really do matter, so much so that no other can possibly influence, much less determine, them.read more ➜

On Speaking about Hell… Why don’t Christians talk About Hell? I have a few proposed answers that run something like: We politely apologize for Hell. If it is mentioned, we are embarrassed by the topic and then quickly change the focus to the positive notionsread more ➜

After reading Genesis 38, several questions came to mind. Naturally, I conferred with a commentary (one of my favorite OT scholars) and found a wealth of insights. What follows is mainly from John H. Walton’s Genesis: The NIV Application Commentary, with my spin on a few things.read more ➜